Fur Farm License

A person may not obtain, rear in captivity, possess, or sell furbearers or parts thereof without first obtaining a fur farm license. This requirement does not apply to the ownership, control, or propagation of furbearers if the ownership, control, or propagation is not for the sale or conveyance of furbearers or parts thereof. Fur-bearing animals are defined as marten or sable, otter, muskrat, fisher, mink, bobcat, lynx, wolverine, northern swift fox, and beaver. All furbearers held either in private possession or on fur farms must have been obtained legally from captive stock and may not be obtained from the wild.

All furbearers held on a fur farm or in private possession must be kept in enclosures sufficient to prevent the entry of wild furbearers and to prevent the escape of fur farm animals into the wild. Furbearers may not be released into the wild at any time without authorization of the FWP Commission.

There is a $25 application fee for a fur farm license. The department is required to do an environmental assessment on any new fur farm application. Following satisfactory completion of an environmental assessment and inspection of the fur farm enclosures by a representative of the FWP Enforcement Division, a fur farm license will be authorized. Each licensee is required to keep accurate records of the numbers and species of furbearers purchased, transferred, or sold, and the name of each person to whom or from whom such furbearers were purchased, transferred, or sold. Those records must be submitted annually to the department along with a $15 application fee on January 31 to renew the fur farm license.

Fees

The license application fee for a fur farm license is $25, and the annual renewal fee is $15.